Abrasive Elements with Precisely Shaped Features, Abrasive Articles Fabricated Therefrom and Methods of Making Thereof

ABSTRACT

An abrasive element includes a first major surface and a second major surface. At least the first major surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped features. The abrasive element includes at least about 99% of carbide ceramic by weight and has a porosity of less than about 5%.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related generally to abrasive articles. Inparticular, the present invention includes an abrasive elementcomprising at least 99% carbide ceramic by weight and having a porosityof less than about 5%.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor and microchip industries rely on a number ofchemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) processes during devicemanufacturing. These CMP processes are used to planarize the surface ofa wafer in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Typically, theyutilize an abrasive slurry and polishing pad. During the CMP process,materials are removed from the wafer and the polishing pad, andbyproducts are formed. These can all accumulate on the polishing padsurface, glazing its surface and degrading its performance, decreasingits lifetime, and increasing wafer defectivity. To address these issues,pad conditioners are designed to regenerate the polishing padperformance through an abrading mechanism which removes the undesirablewaste accumulations and recreates asperities on the polishing padsurface.

Most commercially available pad conditioners have industrial diamondabrasive bonded into a matrix. Typical matrix materials include nickelchromium, brazed metal, electroplating materials, and CVD diamond film.Due to the irregular size and shape distributions of diamonds as well astheir random orientations, various proprietary processes have beendevised to precisely sort, orient or pattern diamonds and to controltheir height. However, given the natural variation in diamond grit, itis not unusual that only 2-4% of the diamonds actually abrade the CMPpad (“working diamonds”). Controlling the distribution of cutting tipsand edges of the abrasives is a manufacturing challenge, and contributesto variation in pad conditioner performance.

In addition, current matrix and bonding methods can also limit the sizeof diamonds that can be embedded. For example, small diamonds of lessthan around 45 microns can be difficult to bond without burying themwithin the matrix.

Acidic slurries for metal CMP can also pose challenges to traditionalpad conditioners. The acidic slurries can chemically react with themetal bonding matrix, weakening the bond between the matrix and abrasiveparticles. This can result in detachment of the diamond particles fromthe conditioner surface, resulting in high wafer defect rates andpotentially scratches on the wafer. Erosion of the metal matrix can alsoresult in metal ion contamination of the wafer.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the present invention is an abrasive elementincluding a first major surface and a second major surface. At least thefirst major surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped features.The abrasive element includes at least about 99% of carbide ceramic byweight and has a porosity of less than about 5%.

In another embodiment, the present invention is an abrasive articleincluding a first abrasive element comprising first and second majorsurfaces. At least the first major surface includes a plurality ofprecisely shaped features. The first abrasive element includes at leastabout 99% of carbide ceramic by weight and has a porosity of less thanabout 5%.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention is a method of makingan abrasive article. The method includes providing a first abrasiveelement and a second abrasive element; placing the first major surfacesof the abrasive elements in contact with an alignment plate; providing aresilient element having first and second major surfaces; affixing thefirst major surface of the resilient element to the second majorsurfaces of the abrasive elements; providing a fastening element; andaffixing the second major surface of the resilient element to a carrierthrough the fastening element. Each abrasive element includes first andsecond major surfaces, wherein at least the first major surfacescomprise a plurality of precisely shaped features and wherein theabrasive elements comprise at least about 99% of carbide ceramic byweight and have a porosity of less than about 5%.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention is an abrasive articleincluding a first abrasive element comprising first and second majorsurfaces. At least the first major surface includes a plurality ofprecisely shaped features having a diamond coating. The first abrasiveelement includes at least about 99% of carbide ceramic by weight and hasa porosity of less than about 5%.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a top view of a positive master having pyramid preciselyshaped features arranged in a grid pattern used in some of the Examples.

FIG. 1 b is a cross-sectional view of the positive master of FIG. 1 ahaving pyramid precisely shaped features arranged in a grid pattern.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an abrasive article including abrasive elementsof the present invention arranged in a star pattern.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show the global coplanarity of Example 12 andComparative Example 13.

FIG. 4 a is a top view of a positive master having pyramid preciselyshaped features arranged in a grid pattern used in Example 15.

FIG. 4 b is a cross-sectional view of the positive master of FIG. 4 ahaving pyramid precisely shaped features arranged in a grid pattern.

FIG. 5 a is a top view of a positive master having pyramid preciselyshaped features arranged in a grid pattern used in Example 16.

FIG. 5 b is a cross-sectional view of the positive master of FIG. 5 ahaving pyramid precisely shaped features arranged in a grid pattern.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an abrasive article including abrasive elementsof the present invention arranged in a double star pattern.

These figures are not drawn to scale and are intended merely forillustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The precisely shaped abrasive elements of the present invention areformed of about 99% carbide ceramic, have a porosity of less than about5% and include a plurality of precisely shaped features. The pluralityof precisely shaped features is monolithic rather than an abrasivecomposite. Unlike a composite which erodes to release embedded abrasiveparticles, the monolith functions without the loss of embedded abrasiveparticles, therefore reducing the chances of scratching. Abrasivearticles incorporating the abrasive elements of the present inventionhave consistent and reproducible performance, precise alignment of theabrasive working tips against the workpiece surface, long lives, goodfeature integrity (including good replication, low erosion and fractureresistance), low metal ion contamination, reliability, consistent andcost effective manufacturing through design for manufacturing, and theability to be tailored to various polishing pad configurations. In oneembodiment, the abrasive article is a pad conditioner.

Abrasive Elements

The precisely structured abrasive elements of the present inventioninclude a first major surface, a second major surface and a plurality ofprecisely shaped features on at least one of the major surfaces. Theabrasive elements are formed of carbide and are about 99% carbideceramic by weight. In one embodiment, the carbide ceramic is siliconcarbide, boron carbide, zirconium carbide, titanium carbide, tungstencarbide or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the 99% carbideceramic by weight is substantially silicon carbide. In particular, thecarbide ceramic is at least about 90% silicon carbide by weight. Theabrasive elements are fabricated without the use of carbide formers andare substantially free of oxide sintering aides. In one embodiment, theabrasive elements include less than about 1% oxide sintering aides. Theabrasive elements are also substantially free of silicon and inparticular include less than about 1% elemental silicon.

It has been surprisingly found that a substantially carbide ceramic canbe molded with excellent feature integrity. When these compositions aresintered, they yield robust and durable abrasive elements with less thanabout 5% porosity. In particular, the abrasive elements have a porosityof less than about 3% and more particularly less than about 1%. Theabrasive elements also have a mean grain size of less than about 20microns, particularly less than about 10 microns, more particularly lessthan about 5 microns and even more particularly less than about 3microns. This low porosity and grain size are significant in achievingrobust and durable replicated features, which in turn results in goodlife and low wear rates of the abrasive element.

In ceramic sintering, low porosity is often accomplished at the expenseof grain size growth. It is surprising that these substantially carbidecompositions can lend both low porosity and small grain size, despitehigh sintering temperatures. When this is combined with the addedchallenge of non-ideal compaction that can result from forming astructured green body, it is also surprising that these compositions canlend themselves to molding with high feature fidelity.

The abrasive elements include precisely shaped abrasive features, orprojections in the abrasive elements that protrude toward a workpiece.The abrasive features can have any shape or shapes (polygonal ornon-polygonal) and can have the same or varying heights. In addition,the abrasive features can have the same base size or varying base sizes.The abrasive features may be spaced in a regular or irregular array andmay be made into patterns comprised of unit cells.

The abrasive elements include abrasive features having a length ofbetween about 1 and about 2000 microns, particularly between about 5 andabout 700 microns and more particularly between about 10 and about 300microns. In one embodiment, the abrasive element has a feature densityof from about 1 to about 1000 features/mm² and particularly betweenabout 10 and about 300 features/mm².

In one embodiment, the abrasive elements include a peripheral zone, oran area on the periphery of the abrasive element in which there are noabrasive features.

The abrasive elements may be coated to achieve additional wearresistance and durability, reduce the coefficient of friction, protectfrom corrosion, and change surface properties. Useful coatings include,for example, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) or physical vapor deposited(PVD) diamond, doped diamond, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride(CBN), fluorochemical coatings, hydrophobic or hydrophilic coatings,surface modifying coatings, anticorrosion coatings, diamond like carbon(DLC), diamond like glass (DLG), tungsten carbide, silicon nitride,titanium nitride, particle coatings, polycrystalline diamond,microcrystalline diamond, nanocrystalline diamond and the like. In oneembodiment, the coating may also be a composite material, such as, forexample, a composite of fine diamond particles and a vapor depositeddiamond matrix. In one embodiment, these coatings are conformal,enabling the precise surface features to be seen under the coatingsurface. The coating can be deposited by any suitable method known inthe art, including chemical or physical vapor deposition, spraying,dipping and roll coating.

In one embodiment, the abrasive elements may be coated with a non-oxidecoating. When a CVD diamond coating is used, the use of the siliconcarbide ceramic has the additional benefit in that there is a good matchin the coefficient of thermal expansion between the silicon carbide andthe CVD diamond film. Therefore, these diamond coated abrasivesadditionally have excellent diamond film adhesion and durability.

In one embodiment, the abrasive element is fabricated from a moldedgreen body. In such cases, the abrasive element is considered a moldedabrasive element. The precisely structured abrasive is ceramic pressedinto a mold and sintered. The mold itself can be used in the fabricationof the precisely structured abrasive elements. Precisely structuredabrasive elements have maximal feature height uniformity. The featureheight uniformity refers to the uniformity of the height of selectedfeatures relative to the base of the feature. The non-uniformity is theaverage of the absolute values of the difference of heights of selectedfeatures from the average height of the selected features. The selectedfeatures are the set of features having maximum common design height D₀.A precisely shaped abrasive element of the invention has anon-uniformity of less than about 20% of the feature height. In oneembodiment, the abrasive element has a non-uniformity of less than about10% of the feature height, particularly less than about 5% of thefeature height and more particularly less than about 2% of the featureheight.

When the abrasive element is molded, it is a subset of the preciselystructured abrasive element where the structure is conferred by amolding process. For example, the shape may be the inverse of the moldcavity such that the shape is retained after the abrasive element greenbody has been removed from the mold. Various ceramic shaping processesmay be used, including but not limited to: injection molding, slipcasting, die pressing, hot pressing, embossing, transfer molding, gelcasting and the like. In one embodiment, the die pressing process isused at room temperature, followed by sintering. Typically, ceramic diepressing near room temperature is referred to as ceramic dry pressing.Ceramic dry pressing typically differs from ceramic injection molding inthat it is done at lower temperature, a much smaller amount of binder isused, die pressing is used, and the materials suitable for use as binderare not necessarily limited to thermoplastics.

Abrasive Articles

The precisely engineered abrasive articles of the present inventiongenerally include at least one abrasive element, a fastening element anda resilient element. In one embodiment, the precisely engineeredabrasive articles include a plurality of abrasive elements. Thefastening element is a material used to adhere one or more materialstogether. Examples of suitable fastening element can include, but arenot limited to: a two part epoxy, pressure sensitive adhesives,structural adhesives, hot melt adhesives, B-stageable adhesives,mechanical fasteners and mechanical locking devices.

The resilient element functions to provide independent suspension ofindividual abrasive elements or global suspension of multiple structuredabrasive elements. The resilient element is a material that is lessrigid and more compressible than the precisely structured abrasiveelement and/or carrier. The resilient element elastically deforms undercompression and can be locked into a compressed position through afastening element, or allowed to elastically deform in use. Theresilient element can be segmented, continuous, discontinuous orgimbaled. Examples of suitable resilient elements include, but are notlimited to: mechanical spring-like devices, flexible washers, foams,polymers, or gels. The resilient element can also have a fasteningcharacter, such as foam with an adhesive backing. In one embodiment, theresilient element can also function as the fastening element.

Unlike diamond grit pad conditioners where diamond height is a variable,abrasive features of the abrasive elements can be aligned to a referenceplane. The reference plane is the theoretical plane through the maximaof selected features of an abrasive element or an abrasive article.Feature maxima are also referred to as feature tips or tips. Theselected features are the set of working features having a maximumcommon design height, D₀. For a contoured surface, the features thatdefine the reference plane are the three features with the tallestheight.

The alignment process is important to reproducibly create a definedbearing area or presentation to the workpiece or polishing pad. Unlikediamond grit conditioners which are aligned to the most planar surfacewhich is the underlying carrier (i.e., not the diamond tips), theprecisely structured abrasive elements are best aligned to using aplanar surface (i.e., “alignment plate”) in contact with the maxima ofthe features. The planar surface of the alignment plate preferably has atolerance of at least about +/−2.5 microns per 4 inch in length (10.2cm) or even lower, i.e. even more planar. A resilient element and afastening element are used in this assembly process in order toprecisely align the elements relative to each other on the carriersubstrate.

The abrasive article may also include one or more cleaning elements,which may be continuous or discontinuous. The cleaning element has thefunction of providing for cleaning of a workpiece surface. The cleaningelement may be comprised of a brush or other material designed to sweepaway debris, or may be a channel or raised area providing for removal ofslurry or swarf from a surface.

The abrasive elements may be aligned and mounted on a precisely planarcarrier. Examples of suitable carrier materials include, but are notlimited to: metals (e.g., stainless steel), ceramic, polymers (e.g.,polycarbonate), cermet, silicon and composites. The abrasive element(s)and carrier may also have a circular or non-circular perimeter, becontoured, or possess the shape of a cup or donut, etc. In this case,the abrasive elements are aligned such that there is maximal feature tipcoplanarity. The non-coplanarity is the average of the absolute valuesof the distance of a selected set of tips from the ideal reference planethrough the set of tips. The non-coplanarity is expressed as apercentage relative to the height of the selected features, D₀.

The abrasive elements and articles of the present invention have aprecisely engineered surface, resulting in reproducible and predictablesurface topology, as measured by the low defect rate and number offeatures that engage the workpiece. When there are multiple featureheights present, the primary working features are the tallest featuresof essentially equal height. The secondary and tertiary working featuresare those of first and second offset in height from the primary workingfeatures such that the offset is smaller for the secondary feature thanthe tertiary feature. This definition extends to other feature heights.

The resulting abrasive elements and articles have precise featurereplication, low defects and good uniformity and planarity of theprimary features. A defect occurs when, for example, an unintentionaldepression, air-void, or bubble exists in the surface of theprecisely-shaped abrasive feature, and typically varies in locationand/or size from one precisely-shaped abrasive feature to the next. Bylooking at the overall shape and pattern of many precisely-shapedfeatures in the abrasive article, the defects are readily discernableunder a microscope when comparing the individual precisely shapedfeatures in the array. In some embodiments, the precisely shapedabrasive element defect results in a missing apex of a precisely shapedabrasive feature. In one embodiment, the abrasive element or article hasa percentage of defective features of less than about 30%, particularlyless than about 15% and particularly less than about 2%.

The abrasive articles also have low or controlled warping or bowing ofeach abrasive element from processing or thermal mismatch with coatedmaterials, resulting in good element planarity. “Element planarity”refers to the planarity of selected feature tips within a preciselystructured abrasive element relative to a reference plane. The elementplanarity is determined in part by the mold design, fidelity of themolding tool, and uniformity of the molding and sintering processes(e.g., differential shrinkage and warpage), etc. For a single element,the planarity refers to the variability of the distance of a set offeature tips relative to a reference plane. The set of tips used tocalculate planarity includes tips from all features having a commonmaximum design height, D₀. A reference plane is defined as the planehaving the best linear regression fit of all of the selected featuretips of height D₀. The non-planarity is the average of the absolutevalue of the distance of the selected tips from the reference plane.

The planarity can be measured by carbon paper imprint test or standardtopology tools, including laser profilometry, confocal imaging, andconfocal scanning microscopy, combined with image analysis software,e.g., MOUNTAINSMAP V5.0 image analysis software (Digital Surf, Besancon,France). Element topology can also be characterized by skew, kurtosis,etc. A precisely shaped abrasive element of the invention has anon-planarity of less than about 20% of the feature height. In oneembodiment, the abrasive element has a non-planarity of less than about10% of the feature height, particularly less than about 5% of thefeature height and more particularly less than about 2% of the featureheight.

The abrasive articles also have accurate alignment of the preciselyshaped abrasive elements such that there is substantial coplanarity. Formultiple elements, the coplanarity refers to the variability of thedistance of a set of feature tips from a plurality of elements relativeto a reference plane. This reference plane is defined as the planehaving the best linear regression fit of all of the selected featuretips of maximum height D₀. The non-coplanarity is the average of theabsolute values of the distance of selected tips from the referenceplane. Non-coplanarity results when the separate abrasive elements arenot aligned. Non-coplanarity can be seen through uneven pressuredistribution, for example through a carbon imprint test. For multipleabrasive elements with even distribution on a carbon imprint test, thedegree of coplanarity can be further quantified through standardtopology tools, including laser profilometry, confocal imaging, andconfocal scanning microscopy. Image software (e.g., MOUNTAINSMAP) can beused to combine multiple topographic maps into a composite topographicmap for analysis. A collective group of features on all of the abrasiveelements, having a common maximum design feature height of D₀, has anon-coplanarity of less than about 20% of the feature height. In oneembodiment, the abrasive elements have a non-coplanarity of less thanabout 10% of the feature height, particularly less than about 5% of thefeature height and more particularly less than about 2% of the featureheight.

The abrasive elements of the present invention can be formed throughmachining, micromachining, microreplication, molding, extruding,injection molding, ceramic pressing, etc. such that precisely shapedstructures are fabricated and are reproducible from part to part andwithin a part, reflecting the ability to replicate a design. In oneembodiment, a ceramic die pressing process is used. In particular theceramic die pressing process is ceramic dry pressing.

In one embodiment, an abrasive article including one or more abrasiveelements is fabricated from a plurality of precisely shaped, engineeredmonoliths that are designed to have good feature integrity, arerelatively non-erodible, and are fracture resistant. A monolith has acontinuous structure and precisely shaped topology in which the abrasivefeatures and the regions between the abrasive features of the abrasiveelement are continuous and consist of the primary abrasive materialwithout an intervening matrix, such as exists in structured abrasivecomposites. The topology is predetermined and replicated from a materialwhich can be formed from methods such as machining or micromachining,water jet cutting, injection molding, extrusion, microreplication orceramic die pressing.

Green Body and Method

A molded ceramic green body can be sintered to achieve high density,rigidity, fracture toughness and good feature fidelity. The green bodyis the unsintered, compacted ceramic element, as would be normallyreferred to by those skilled in the art. The green body includes a firstmajor surface, a second major surface and a plurality of preciselyshaped features.

The green body includes a plurality of inorganic particles and a binder,where the plurality of inorganic particles is at least about 99% carbideceramic by weight. In one embodiment, the inorganic particles areceramic particles and can be silicon carbide, boron carbide, zirconiumcarbide, tungsten carbide or combinations thereof.

The binder of the green body can be a thermoplastic binder. Examples ofsuitable binders include, but are not limited to, thermoplasticpolymers. In one embodiment, the binder is a thermoplastic binder with aT_(g) of less than about 25° C. and particularly less than about 0° C.In one embodiment, the binder is a polyacrylate binder.

The green body also includes a carbon source. Suitable examples of thecarbon source include, but are not limited to: phenolic resin, cellulosecompounds, sugars, graphite, carbon black and combinations thereof. Inone embodiment, the green body contains between about 0 to about 10% byweight of a carbon source and particularly between about 2 and about 7%by weight of a carbon source. The carbon compounds in the green bodycomposition result in lower porosities after sintering. The green bodycan also include additional functional materials, such as a releaseagent or a lubricant. In one embodiment the green body contains betweenabout 0 to 10% by weight of a lubricant.

A molded green body is produced by a ceramic shaping process, asdiscussed earlier. The green body may be sintered to form an abrasiveelement manufactured with substantial integrity. It is understood thatthe pre-sintered green body contains fugitive elements, such as carbon,that are not substantially present in the final sintered article.(Therefore, the carbide phases are 99% in the final sintered article,but of a lower composition in the green body.)

The green body is an abrasive element precursor and is made by firstmixing a plurality of inorganic particles, a binder and a carbon sourceto form a mixture. In one embodiment, the agglomerates of the mixtureare formed by a spray drying process.

In one embodiment, the green body is formed by a die pressing operation,such as ceramic dry pressing. The spray dried agglomerates of themixture are filled into a die cavity. The agglomerates may optionally besieved to provide agglomerates of a particular size. For example, theagglomerates may be sieved to provide agglomerates having a size of lessthan about 45 microns.

A mold having a plurality of precisely shaped cavities is placed in thedie cavity such that a majority of the precisely shaped cavities of themold are filled with the mixture. The mold may be formed of metal,ceramic, cermet, composite or a polymeric material. In one embodiment,the mold is a polymeric material such as polypropylene. In anotherembodiment, the mold is nickel. Pressure is then applied to the mixtureto compact the mixture into the precisely shaped cavities to form agreen body ceramic element having first and second major surfaces. Thepressure may be applied at ambient temperature or at an elevatedtemperature. More than one pressing step may also be used.

The mold, or production tool, has a predetermined array of at least onespecified shape on the surface thereof, which is the inverse of thepredetermined array and specified shape(s) of the precisely shapedfeatures of the abrasive elements. As mentioned above, the mold can beprepared from metal, e.g., nickel, although plastic tools can also beused. A mold made of metal can be fabricated by engraving,micromachining or other mechanical means, such as diamond turning or byelectroforming. The preferred method is electroforming.

In addition to the above technique, a mold can be formed by preparing apositive master, which has a predetermined array and specified shapes ofthe precisely shaped features of the abrasive elements. The mold is thenmade having a surface topography being the inverse of the positivemaster. A positive master may be made by direct machining techniquessuch as diamond turning, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,917 (Pieper,et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,248 (Hoopman, et al.), the disclosuresof which are herein incorporated by reference. These techniques arefurther described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,559 (Smith), the disclosure ofwhich is herein incorporated by reference.

A mold including, for example, a thermoplastic, can be made byreplication off the metal master tool. A thermoplastic sheet materialcan be heated optionally along with the metal master, such that thethermoplastic material is embossed with the surface pattern presented bythe metal master by pressing the two surfaces together. Thethermoplastic can also be extruded or cast onto to the metal master andthen pressed. Other suitable methods of production tooling and metalmasters are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,816 (Spurgeon et al.),which is herein incorporated by reference.

To form a precisely engineered abrasive element, the green body ceramicelement is removed from the mold and heated to cause sintering of theinorganic particles. In one embodiment, the green body ceramic elementis heated during a binder and carbon source pyrolization step in anoxygen poor atmosphere in a temperature range of between about 300 andabout 900° C. In one embodiment, the green body ceramic element issintered in an oxygen-poor atmosphere at between about 1900 and about2300° C. to form the abrasive element.

After cleaning, the abrasive element is optionally coated.

Assembly

The precisely engineered abrasive article is assembled by first placingthe first major surfaces of a first and a second abrasive element incontact with an alignment plate. A first major surface of a resilientelement is then contacted with the second major surfaces of the abrasiveelements. The second major surface of the resilient element is thenaffixed to a carrier through the fastening element. The assembly is thenbonded together under pressure. When assembled, the plane defined by theworking tips is substantially planar with respect to the backplane ofthe carrier. In one embodiment, the abrasive article is a single sidedpad conditioner in which the precisely shaped features are located onone surface. However, the pad conditioner can also be assembled suchthat it is double sided, with both sides presenting precisely structuredfeatures.

Uses

Pad conditioners having the precisely structured abrasive elements ofthe invention may be used in conventional Chemical MechanicalPlanarization (CMP) processes. Various materials may be polished orplanarized in such conventional CMP processes, including, but notlimited to: copper, copper alloys, aluminum, tantalum, tantalum nitride,tungsten, titanium, titanium nitride, nickel, nickel-iron alloys,nickel-silicide, germanium, silicon, silicon nitride, silicon carbide,silicon-dioxide, oxides of silicon, hafnium oxide, materials having alow dielectric constant, and combinations thereof. The pad conditionersmay be configured to mount onto conventional CMP tools in such CMPprocesses and run under conventional operating conditions. In oneembodiment, the CMP process is run at a range of rotational speedsbetween about 20 RPM and about 150RPM, at a range of applied load ofbetween about 1 lb and about 90 lbs, and sweeping back and forth acrossthe pad at a rate of between about 1 and about 25 sweeps per minute,utilizing conventional sweep profiles, such as sinusoidal sweeps orlinear sweeps.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is more particularly described in the followingexamples that are intended as illustrations only, since numerousmodifications and variations within the scope of the present inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise noted,all parts, percentages, and ratios reported in the following example areon a weight basis.

Test Methods Feature Defect Test Method

Abrasive articles having precisely shaped abrasive features wereexamined under a stereomicroscope at 63× total magnification (Model SZ60from Olympus America Inc., Center Valley, Pa.). A defect was defined asa feature that was missing, possessed an unintentional depression(s),air-void, bubble or a feature that possessed a tip that appearedcraterlike or truncated, rather than sharply and fully formed. Thepercent of defective features was defined as the number of features withprimary defects on an abrasive element divided by the total number offeatures on an abrasive element, multiplied by 100.

Element Planarity Test Method

The non-planarity of an individual abrasive element with preciselyshaped features was measured using laser profilometry and a Leica DCM 3Dconfocal microscope, combined with MOUNTAINSMAP V5.0 image analysissoftware (Digital Surf, Besancon, France). A Micro-Epsilon OptoNCDT1700laser profilometer (Raleigh, N.C.) was mounted to an X-Y stage providedby B&H Machine Company, Inc. (Roberts, Wis.). The profilometer scan rateand increment were adjusted to provide sufficient resolution toaccurately locate the feature tips, thus were dependent on the type,size and patterning of the precisely shaped features. For an abrasiveelement, a group of features, all having the same maximum design featureheight of D₀, was selected, and their height measured relative to a baseplane. A reference plane is defined as the plane having the best linearregression fit of all of the selected feature tips of height D₀. Thenon-planarity is the average of the absolute value of the distances ofthe selected tips from the reference plane. The non-planarity isexpressed as a percentage relative to the height of the selectedfeatures, D₀.

Abrasive Article Coplanarity Test Method I

The coplanarity of an abrasive article having multiple abrasive elementswas measured by a Carbon Paper Imprint test (CPI test). The article wasplaced a planar granite surface such that the precisely shaped featureswere facing upwards, away from the granite surface. Carbon paper wasthen placed against the features with carbon side facing upwards. Awhite sheet of photo quality paper was placed on top of the carbon papersuch that the carbon was in direct contact with the photo paper so as tocreate an image on the photo paper. A planar plate was placed on top ofthe photopaper/carbon paper/abrasive article stack. A load 120 lb (54.4kg) was applied to the stack for 30 seconds. The load was removed andthe photo paper was scanned with an image scanner to record theimprinted image.

A coplanar abrasive article results in images where the separateelements are of equal size and color intensity, as quantified visuallyand through image analysis. When the elements of an abrasive article aresignificantly non-coplanar, images of the individual elements may bemissing, asymmetric or show significant lighter intensity areas.

Abrasive Article Coplanarity Test Method II

The coplanarity can be measured by standard topology tools, includinglaser profilometry, confocal imaging, and confocal scanning microscope,combined with image analysis software (e.g., MOUNTAINSMAP). Elementtopology can also be characterized by skew, kurtosis, etc.

For multiple elements, the coplanarity refers to the variability of theposition of a set of feature tips from a plurality of elements relativeto a reference plane. A reference plane is defined as the plane havingthe best linear regression fit of all of the selected features of heightD₀. The set of feature tips used to calculate coplanarity includes tipsfrom all features having common, maximum design height D₀. Thenon-coplanarity is calculated using the average of the absolute valuesof the distance of selected tips from the reference plane. Thenon-coplanarity is expressed as a percentage relative to the height ofthe selected features, D₀.

Bulk Density and Porosity Test Methods

The bulk density and apparent porosity of the abrasive elements withprecisely shaped features were measured according to ASTM test methodC373. The total porosity was also calculated based the bulk density andan assumption of a theoretical density for an abrasive element of 3.20g/cm³. The calculated porosity is the following: [(theoreticaldensity−bulk density)/theoretical density]*100.

Mean Grain Size Test Method

The mean surface grain size of carbide grains of the abrasive elementswith precisely shaped features was determined by examining the surfaceof the elements by optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy.For optical microscopy, a Nikon model ME600 (Nikon Corporation, Tokyo,Japan) was used at 100× magnification. For scanning electron microscopya Hitachi High-Tech model TM3000 (Hitachi Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) wasused at 5,000× magnification, 15 keV acceleration voltage and 4-5 mmworking distance. The line intercept method was used. First, 5 straightlines were drawn horizontally across the image (approximately equallyspaced). Next, the number of grains intercepted by the lines wascounted, excluding the first and last grains which were at the edge ofthe image. The length of the line (scaled to the image) was then dividedby the average number of intercepted grains and multiplied by a factorof 1.56 to determine the average grain size (Average grainsize=1.56*length of line/average number of grains intercepted).

Copper Wafer Removal Rate and Non-Uniformity Test Method

Removal rate was calculated by determining the change in thickness ofthe copper layer being polished. This change in thickness was divided bythe wafer polishing time to obtain the removal rate for the copper layerbeing polished. Thickness measurements for 300 mm diameter wafers weretaken with a ResMap 168, 4 point probe Rs Mapping Tool available fromCredence Design Engineering, Cupertino, Calif. Eighty-one point diameterscans with 5 mm edge exclusion were employed. Wafer non-uniformity (%NU) was calculated by the standard deviation of 49 wafer thicknessmeasurements across the wafer divided by the mean wafer thickness value.

Oxide Wafer Removal Rate and Non-Uniformity Test Method

Removal rate was calculated by determining the change in thickness ofthe oxide layer being polished. This change in thickness was divided bythe wafer polishing time to obtain the removal rate for the oxide layerbeing polished. Thickness measurements for 300 mm oxide blanket ratewafers were made using a NovaScan 3060 ellipsometer which is integratedwith the REFLEXION polisher and was supplied by Applied Materials, Inc.Santa Clara, Calif. Oxide wafers were measured with a 25 point diameterscan with 3 mm edge exclusion. Wafer non-uniformity (% NU) wascalculated by the standard deviation of 49 wafer thickness measurementsacross the wafer divided by the mean wafer thickness value.

CMP Pad Wear Rate and Pad Surface Roughness Test Methods

Measurements were conducted using the laser profilometry and softwareanalysis tools described previously in the Element Planarity TestMethod. A radial strip of dimension 1 inch (2.5 cm) by 16 inch (40.6 cm)pad strip was cut out of the 30.5 inch polishing pad, after processingon the 300 mm REFLEXION tool. Two dimensional X-Y laser profile scanswere conducted over a 1 cm² region at locations 3 inch (7.6 cm), 8 inch(20.3 cm) and 13 inch (33.0 cm) distance from the pad center.MOUNTAINSMAP software was used to obtain the pad wear rate and surfaceroughness (Sa) by analyzing the change in the pad groove depth, as afunction of polishing time, at these different pad positions and also byanalyzing the pad surface texture, using 2D and 3D digital images. Padwear rate was calculated as the average pad wear at 3, 8, and 13 inchesfrom the pad center divided by the total finishing time.

Polishing Test Method 1

Polishing was conducted using a CMP polisher available under the tradedesignation REFLEXION polisher from Applied Materials, Inc., of SantaClara, Calif. An IC1010 pad and CSL9044C slurry were used for polishing.A sample of 30% (wt basis) hydrogen peroxide, (H₂O₂) was added to theslurry to obtain a H₂O₂ concentration in the slurry of 3% (wt basis),prior to starting the test. An abrasive article, having a carriersuitable for mounting onto the pad conditioner arm of the tool, wasmounted thereon. The pad was conditioned continuously throughout thetest with slurry being run on the pad continuously throughout the test.At appropriate time intervals, four 300 mm copper “dummy” wafers wouldbe run, followed by two, 300 mm electroplated copper wafers, 20 kÅ Cuthickness, to monitor copper removal rate, one run at the low waferdownforce head conditions and the other at the high wafer downforce headconditions. Head pressure was either high downforce (designated as 3.0psi) or low downforce (designated as 1.4 psi). The specific setpressures of each zone in the head are described below. The processconditions were as follows:

Head speed: 107 rpmPlaten speed: 113 rpmHead pressure:A) For high downforce tests (3.0 psi): Retaining Ring=8.7 psi, Zone1=7.3psi, Zone2=3.1 psi, Zone3=3.1 psi, Zone4=2.9 psi, Zone 5=3.0 psiB) For low downforce tests (1.4 psi): Retaining Ring 3.8 psi, Zone1=3.3psi, Zone2=1.6 psi, Zone3=1.4 psi, Zone4=1.3 psi, Zone5=1.3 psiSlurry flow rate: 300 ml/minPolishing time for the dummy wafers: 30 secPolishing time for rate wafers: 60 secPad conditioner down force: 5 lbPad conditioner speed: 87 rpmPad conditioner sweep rate: 10 sweeps/minPad conditioner sweep type: Sinusoidal

Polishing Test Method 2

Polishing was conducted using a CMP polisher available under the tradedesignation REFLEXION polisher from Applied Materials, Inc. A WSP padand 7106 slurry were used for polishing. A sample of 30% (wt basis) H₂O₂was added to the slurry to obtain a H₂O₂ concentration in the slurry of3% (wt basis), prior to starting the test. An abrasive article, having acarrier suitable for mounting onto the pad conditioner arm of the tool,was mounted thereon. The pad was conditioned continuously throughout thetest with slurry being run on the pad continuously throughout the test.At appropriate time intervals, four 300 mm Cu “dummy” wafers would berun, followed by two, 300 mm electroplated Cu wafers, 20 kÅ Cuthickness, to monitor Cu removal rate, one run at the low waferdownforce head conditions and the other at the high wafer downforce headconditions. Head pressure was either high downforce (designated as 3.0psi) or low downforce (designated as 1.4 psi). The specific setpressures of each zone in the head are described below. The processconditions were as follows:

Head speed: 49 rpmPlaten speed: 53 rpmHead pressure:A) For high downforce tests (3.0 psi): Retaining Ring=8.7 psi, Zone1=7.3psi, Zone2=3.1 psi, Zone3=3.1 psi, Zone4=2.9 psi, Zone 5=3.0 psiB) For low downforce tests (1.4 psi): Retaining Ring 3.8 psi, Zone1=3.3psi, Zone2=1.6 psi, Zone3=1.4 psi, Zone4=1.3 psi, Zone5=1.3 psiSlurry flow rate (when used): 300 ml/minPolishing time for the dummy wafers: 30 secPolishing time for rate wafers: 60 secPad conditioner down force: 5 lbPad conditioner speed: 119 rpmPad conditioner sweep rate: 10 sweeps/minPad conditioner sweep type: Sinusoidal

Polishing Test Method 3

Polishing was conducted using a CMP polisher available under the tradedesignation REFLEXION polisher from Applied Materials, Inc. A VP5000 padand D6720 slurry were used for polishing. The D6720 was diluted with DIwater at a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part slurry. An abrasive article,having a carrier suitable for mounting onto the pad conditioner arm ofthe tool, was mounted thereon. The pad was conditioned continuouslythroughout the test with slurry being run on the pad continuouslythroughout the test. At appropriate time intervals, four 300 mm thermalsilicon oxide “dummy” wafers would be run, followed by a 300 mm, thermalsilicon oxide wafer, 17 kÅ silicon oxide thickness, to monitor oxideremoval rate. The process conditions were as follows:

Head speed: 87 rpmPlaten speed: 93 rpmHead pressure: Retaining Ring=12psi, Zone1=6psi, Zone2=6psi, Zone3=6psi,Z4=6psi, Zone5=6 psi.Slurry flow rate): 300 ml/minPolishing time for the dummy wafers: 60 secPolishing time for rate wafer: 60 secPad conditioner down force: 6 lbPad conditioner speed: 87 rpmPad conditioner sweep rate: 10 sweeps/minPad conditioner sweep type: Sinusoidal

Materials

Materials Abbreviation or Trade Name Description SCP1 A silicon carbidepowder with an average particle size of 0.6 micron, available under thetrade designation “HSC 490N” from Superior Graphite Co., Chicago,Illinois. BCP1 A boron carbide powder with an average particle size of0.5-0.8 micron, available under the trade designation “HSC B4C” fromSuperior Graphite Co. BCP2 A boron carbide powder, used for a sinteringpowder bed, with an average particle size of 2 micron, available underthe trade designation “CERAC/PURE B-1102” from Materion AdvancedChemicals, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Graph1 A graphite powder, used for asintering powder bed, available under the trade designation “THERMOPUREGRADE 5900” from Superior Graphite Co. Dura B A 55% solids (aqueousemulsion) ceramic binder available under the trade designation “DURAMAXB-1000” from the DOW Chemical Company, Midland Michigan. PhRes Aone-part phenolic resin available under the trade designation “DUREZ07347A” from Sumitomo Bakelite North America, Inc., Novi, Michigan.Glucose A glucose powder, available under the trade designation “BIOXTRAD-(+)-GLUCOSE,” from Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri. PDMS A siliconeoil available under the trade designation “PST-850” from PolySiTechnologies, Inc., Sanford, North Carolina. PS80 A polysorbate 80 fluidavailable under the trade designation “Polysorbate 80” from BDH, a unitof VWR International, LLC, Radnor, Pennsylvania. IC1010 A relativelyhard CMP polishing pad available under the trade designation “IC1010”from DOW Chemical Company. WSP A relatively soft CMP polishing padavailable under the trade designation “WSP” from JSR Corporation, Tokyo,Japan. VP5000 A CMP polishing pad available under the trade designation“VISIONPAD 5000” from DOW Chemical Company. CSL9044C A copper CMP slurryavailable under the trade designation “CSL9044C” from Planar Solutions,LLC, Mesa, Arizona. 7106 A copper CMP slurry available under the tradedesignation “PLANERLITE-7006” from Fujimi Incorporated, Kiyosu, Japan.D6720 An oxide CMP slurry available under the trade designation “IDIELD6720 SLURRY” from Cabot Microelectronics, Aurora, Illinois.

Example 1 Preparation of a Production Tool with a Plurality of Cavities

A positive master was prepared by diamond turning of a first metal,followed by two iterations of electroforming a second metal, producingthe positive master. The dimensions of the precisely shaped features ofthe positive master were as follows. The precisely shaped featuresconsisted of four sided, sharp tipped pyramids, 73.5% of the pyramidshaving a square base with a base length 390 microns and a height of 195microns (primary feature), 2% of the pyramids having a square base witha base length 366 microns and a height of 183 microns and 25.5% of thepyramids having a rectangular base with a length of 390 microns, a widthof 366 microns and a height 183 (secondary features). The pyramids werearranged in a grid pattern, per FIGS. 1 a and b; all spacing betweenpyramids was 5 microns at the base.

Polypropylene production tools were produced by compression molding fromthe positive master using a sheet of 20 mil (0.51 mm) thickpolypropylene available from Commercial Plastics and Supply Corp., WestPalm Beach, Florida. Compression molding was conducted using a modelV75H-24-CLX WABASH HYDRAULIC PRESS, from Wabash MPI, Wabash, Indiana,with platens pre-heated to 165° C. at a load of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) for3 minutes. The load was then increased to 40,000 lb (18,140 kg) for 10minutes. The heaters were then switched off and cooling water flowedthrough the platens until they reached about 70° C. (about 15 minutes).The load was then released and the molded polypropylene tool wasremoved.

Preparation of a Ceramic Slurry

A ceramic slurry was prepared by placing the following components into 1L high density polyethylene jar: 458.7 g distilled water, 300.0 g SCP1,1.5 g BCP1, and 21.9 g PhRes. Spherical, silicon carbide milling media,0.25 inch diameter (6.35 mm) was added, and the slurry was milled on aball mill for 15 hours at 100 rpm. After milling, 60.9 g of Dura B wasadded to the jar and mixed in by stirring. The slurry was spray driedusing a spray dryer available under the trade designation “Mini SprayDryer B-191” from Buchi, New Castle, Del., producing a ceramic-binderpowder composed of 85.37 wt % silicon carbide, 0.43 wt % boron carbide,9.53 wt % polyacrylate binder, and 4.67 wt % phenolic resin with anaverage particle size of 32-45 microns, as measured by conventional testsieving. The ceramic-binder powder may be used in the preparation of agreen body ceramic element having precisely shaped features.

Preparation of a Green Body Ceramic Element with Precisely ShapedFeatures

A circular, steel die cavity, 16.65 mm diameter, having upper and lowerpress rods, was used to mold a green body ceramic element havingprecisely shaped features. The polypropylene production tool, havingprecisely designed cavities representing the feature type (shape), sizeand pattern of the desired precisely shaped features of the green bodyceramic element, was placed in the die cavity on the lower press rod,with the cavities facing the upper press rod. The production toolsurface, including the cavities, was then lubricated with 4 drops of a25/75 wt/wt PDMS/hexane solution, to facilitate replication and greenbody release. For other examples, this step was not used if PDMS wasincluded in the ceramic slurry composition (see Table 1). After thehexane was allowed to evaporate, the die was charged with 1 g of theceramic-binder powder. A 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) load was applied to theupper push rod for 30 sec, pressing the ceramic-binder powder into thetool cavities. The load was removed and an additional 1 g ofceramic-binder powder was added to the die cavity. A 20,000 lb (9,072kg) load was applied to the upper push rod for 30 seconds. The load wasremoved and the tool with pressed ceramic-binder powder was removed fromthe die cavity.

The green body ceramic element with precisely shaped features was thenremoved from the tool. The features were the inverse of the toolcavities. The overall diameter and thickness of the green body reflectedthe diameter of the die cavity and the amount of ceramic-binder powder,respectively. After removal from the die cavity, the ceramic element hada diameter of about 16.7 mm and a thickness of about 4.2 mm. Five, greenbody ceramic elements were made by this technique. The green bodyceramic element with precisely shaped features may be used as anabrasive element precursor in the preparation of an abrasive elementhaving precisely shaped features.

Preparation of an Abrasive Element with Precisely Shaped Features

The previously prepared abrasive element precursors, i.e. green bodyceramic elements with precisely shaped features, were placed in aLindbergh Model 51442-S retort oven, available from SPX Thermal ProductSolutions, a division of SPX Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., at roomtemperature. In order to degrade and volatilize the binder component ofthe green body ceramic elements, the green body ceramic elements wereannealed under a nitrogen atmosphere, as follows: the oven temperaturewas increased at a linear rate to 600° C. over a 4 hour time period,followed by a 30 min isothermal hold at 600° C. The oven was then cooledto room temperature. The sharp edges, i.e. flashing, were removed fromthe annealed green body ceramic elements by abrading their outercircumference with 220-grit silicon carbide sandpaper.

The annealed, green body ceramic elements were loaded into a graphitecrucible for sintering. The elements were placed in a bed of a powdermixture, i.e. a sintering powder bed, consisting of 97 wt % Graph1 and 3wt % BCP2. The green bodies were then sintered, under a heliumatmosphere, by heating from room temperature to 2,150° C. over 5 hours,followed by a 30 min isothermal hold at 2,150° C., using an Astrofurnace HTG-7010 available from Thermal Technology LLC, Santa Rosa,Calif.

The sintered, green body ceramic elements may be used as abrasiveelements with precisely shaped features. Following the sinteringprocess, the abrasive elements were cleaned.

Using the Feature Defect Test Method, it was determined that theabrasive elements had less than 5% of defective features.

Examples 2-10 and Comparative Example 11 (CE11)

Examples 2-8 and CE11 were prepared similarly to that of Example 1,except the ceramic slurry compositions and the sintering powder bed usedwere varied according to Table 1. A graphite crucible was used for allsintering procedures, except for that of Example 10, which employed asilicon carbide crucible.

Examples 9 and 10 were prepared similarly to Example 1, except that themolding of the precisely shaped features was conducted in a one stepprocess, using a metal production tool, instead of the polypropyleneproduction tool. The metal production tool was fabricated from thepositive master by an electroforming process. Two grams ofceramic-binder powder were added to the steel die cavity, and theproduction tool, with precisely shaped features facing downward, wasadded to the die cavity. A 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) load was applied to theupper push rod for 15 sec, pressing the ceramic-binder powder into thetool cavities. The load was removed and the tool with pressedceramic-binder powder was removed from the die cavity. The sinteringpowder bed for Example 9 was a 97/3 (wt/wt) mixture of Graph1/BCP1.

TABLE 1 Ceramic Slurry Composition and Sintering Conditions SinteringCeramic Slurry Composition (values in grams) Powder Bed Distilled DuraGraph1/BC Ex. Water SCP1 BCP1 B PhRes Glucose PDMS PS80 P2 (wt/wt) 1458.7 300.0 1.5 60.9 21.9 — — — 97/3 2 468.0 300.0 1.5 60.7 — 19.1 — —97/3 3 458.1 300.0 1.5 609 21.9 — 26.0 4.0 97/3 4 233.8 149.9 0.4 30.4 —9.6 — — 97/3 5 233.8 149.9 0.4 30.4 — 9.6 — — No Bed 6 468.0 300.0 1.560.7 — 19.1 — — 100/0  7 486.4 300.0 1.1 30.4 22.3 — — — 97/3 8 465.6300.0 1.1 60.8 12.3 — — — 97/3 9 458.7 300.0 1.5 60.9 21.9 — 30.6 0.6 NA10  458.7 300.0 1.5 60.9 21.9 — 30.6 0.6 No Bed CE 403.0 269.9 5.5 49.5— — — — 97/3 11

The physical properties of the abrasive elements including mean grainsize, porosity, bulk density and calculated porosity are shown in Table2.

TABLE 2 Physical Properties of Abrasive Elements. Sintered ArticleProperties Apparent Porosity Mean Grain from Bulk Density Calculatedsize ASTM C373 ASTM C373 Total Example (microns) (%) (g/cm³) Porosity(%) 1 <2-3 (optical 0.04 3.17 0.94 microscopy) 2 <2-3 (optical 0.01 3.132.19 microscopy) 3 — 0.10 3.16 1.24 4 — 0.05 3.13 2.19 5 — 0.11 3.122.50 6 — 0.49 3.09 3.44 7 — 0.01 3.16 1.25 8 — 0.03 3.14 1.88 9 — 0.053.14 1.73 10  3.8 (SEM) 0.04 3.15 1.71 CE11 — 24.5 2.36 26.2Preparation of Abrasive Elements with CVD Diamond Coating

The abrasive elements with precisely shaped features, from Examples1-10, were first degreased by ultrasonic cleaning in methyl ethylketone, dried and then diamond seeded by immersing in an ultrasonic bathcontaining a nano-diamond solution, available under the tradedesignation 87501-01, from sp3 Diamond Technologies, Santa Clara, Calif.Once removed from the diamond solutions, the elements were dried using alow pressure, pure nitrogen gas flow. The elements were then loaded intoa hot filament CVD reactor model HF-CVD655 available from sp3 DiamondTechnologies. A mixture of 2.7% methane in hydrogen gas was used asprecursors for the CVD diamond coating process. During deposition, thereactor pressure was kept between 6 Torr (800 Pa) and 50 Torr (6,670 Pa)and the filament temperature was between 1,900 and 2300° C., as measuredby an optical pyrometer. CVD diamond growth rate was 0.6 μm/hr.

Coating adhesion was evaluated by immersing the coated elements inliquid nitrogen followed by a DI water rinse. This procedure wasrepeated 5 times. All examples passed this test.

Example 12

An abrasive article comprising five abrasive elements from Example 1with precisely shaped features was assembled. The assembly process wasdeveloped such that the tallest, precisely shaped features on eachelement, all having the same design feature height, would become planar.

A planar granite surface was used as an alignment plate. The segmentswere placed onto the alignment plate such that the major surfaces havingprecisely shaped features were in direct contact with the alignmentplate (facing down) with their second flat, major surfaces facingupwards. The abrasive elements were arranged in a circular pattern, suchthat their center points were positioned along the circumference of acircle with a radius of about 1.75 inch (44.5 mm) and spaced apartequally at about 72° around the circumference, FIG. 2. A resilientelement, a flexible washer, part no. 9714K22, 302 stainless steel wavespring washer available from McMaster-Carr, Atlanta, Ga., was placedonto the flat surface of each abrasive element. A fastening element wasthen applied to the washers and exposed surface of the abrasive elementsin the center-hole region of the washers. The fastening element was anepoxy adhesive available under the trade designation 3M SCOTCH-WELDEPDXY ADHESIVE DP420 from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. A circular,stainless steel carrier, having a diameter of 4.25 inch (108 mm) and athickness of 0.22 inch (5.64 mm) was then placed face down on top of thefastening element (the back side of the carrier is machined, such that,it may be attached to the carrier arm of a REFLEXION polisher). A 10 lb(4.54 kg) load was applied uniformly across the carrier's exposedsurface and the adhesive was allowed to cure for about 4 hours at roomtemperature.

Comparative Example 13 CE13

CE13 was prepared similarly to Example 12, except that resilientelements were not used in the fabrication process.

The global coplanarity of the abrasive elements of Example 12 and CE13was measured using the Abrasive Article Coplanarity Test Method I. FIG.3 shows the results. Based on the more uniform imprints of the abrasiveelements, Example 12, which included the resilient elements, showsimproved planarity, over CE13, which did not employ the resilientelements.

Examples 14-16

The abrasive elements used in Examples 14-16 were prepared as describedin Example 1. Each abrasive element had precisely shaped features havingat least two different heights, a primary feature height, which was thehigher of the two features, and a secondary feature height, assummarized in Table 3. The offset height is the height differencebetween the primary and secondary feature. The precisely shaped featuresof Example 14 were the same as that described for Example 1. Theprecisely shaped features of Example 15 consisted of four sided,truncated pyramids, 73.5% of the pyramids having a square base with abase length 146 microns and a height of 61 microns, with a square top 24microns on a side (primary feature) and 26.5% of the pyramids having asquare base with a base length 146 microns and a height of 49 microns,with a square top 48 microns on a side (secondary feature). The pyramidswere arranged in a grid pattern, per FIGS. 4 a and b; all spacingbetween pyramids was 58.5 microns at the base. The precisely shapedfeatures of Example 16 consisted of four sided sharp tipped pyramids,73.5% of the pyramids having a square base with a base length 146microns and a height of 73 microns (primary feature), 2% of the pyramidshaving a square base with a base length 122 microns and a height of 61microns and 25.5% of the pyramids having a rectangular base with alength of 146 microns, a width of 122 microns and a height 73 (secondaryfeatures). The pyramids were arranged in a grid pattern, per FIGS. 5 aand b; all spacing between pyramids was 5 microns at the base.

Five abrasive elements were prepared for each of Examples 14 and 15, andten abrasive elements were prepared for Example 16. The abrasiveelements were coated with CVD diamond, by the process previouslydescribed. The CVD diamond coated abrasive elements were then used toform abrasive articles, using the fabrication procedure described inExample 12. The abrasive articles fabricated from the abrasive elementsof Examples 14 and 15 were arranged in a circular pattern, such thattheir center points were positioned along the circumference of a circlewith a radius of about 1.75 inch (44.5 mm) and spaced apart equally atabout 72° around the circumference, FIG. 2. These abrasive articles aredesignated as Examples 14A and Example 15A, respectively. The tenabrasive elements of Example 16 were used to fabricate an abrasivearticle, designated Example 16A, having the abrasive elements arrangedin a double star pattern, as shown in FIG. 6. The larger star patternwas identical to that of Examples 14 and 15. The elements of the smallerstar pattern were arranged in a circular pattern, such that their centerpoints were positioned along the circumference of a circle with a radiusof about 1.5 inch (38.1 mm) and spaced apart equally at about 72° aroundthe circumference, as shown in FIG. 2. These elements were offset by 36°relative to the outside elements.

TABLE 3 Precisely Shaped Feature Parameters of Examples 14-16. PrimaryFeature Primary Base Length Spacing Height Offset Height FeaturesFeature Example (microns) (microns) (microns) (microns) (%) Tip 14 390 5195 12 74 Sharp 15 146 59 61 12 74 Truncated 16 146 5 73 12 74 Sharp

Comparative Example 17 CE17

CE17 was a diamond grit pad conditioner, having a diamond size of 180microns, available under the trade designation “3M DIAMOND PADCONDTIONER A2812” from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.

Comparative Example 18 CE18

CE18 was a diamond grit pad conditioner, having a diamond size of 250microns, available under the trade designation “3M DIAMOND PADCONDTIONER A165” from 3M Company.

Comparative Example 19 CE19

CE19 was a diamond grit pad conditioner, having a diamond size of 74microns, available under the trade designation “3M DIAMOND PADCONDTIONER H2AG18” from 3M Company.

Comparative Example 20 CE20

CE20 was a diamond grit pad conditioner, having a diamond size of 74microns, available under the trade designation “3M DIAMOND PADCONDTIONER H9AG27” from 3M Company.

CMP Polishing Tests Using Example 14A, CE17 and CE18

Using Polishing Test Method 1, the two abrasive articles of Example 14Awere tested as pad conditioners in a copper CMP process using arelatively hard CMP pad, IC1010. One abrasive article was tested at awafer head pressure of 3 psi, while the other was tested at a wafer headpressure of 1.4 psi. Using the Copper Wafer Removal Rate andNon-Uniformity Test Method described above, the copper removal rate andwafer non-uniformity were measured as a function of conditioning time.Results are shown in Table 4. For both the low head pressure and highhead pressure processes, good, stable removal rates and good, stablewafer non-uniformities were obtained. The precisely shaped feature tipswere examined by optical microscopy after the polishing. The wear of thefeature tips was very minor after the 20.8 hour test CMP polishing test,indicating that conditioner would have a long life.

TABLE 4 Copper CMP Polishing Results for Example 14A. Head Pressure 3.0psi Head Pressure 1.4 psi Conditioning Removal Rate Removal Rate Time(hr) (Å/min) NU (%) (Å/min) NU (%) 0.58 10,268 2.9 4,591 5.8 2.8 10,4573.3 4,601 6.5 5.03 10,387 3.4 4,701 5.3 7.27 10,208 3.9 4,608 3.9 9.59,943 4.1 4,640 4.6 11.73 9,873 4.1 4,609 4.7 13.97 9,756 4.6 4,533 4.516.2 9,738 4.8 4,538 4.7 20.67 9,711 4.0 4,394 4.9

Comparative Examples CE17 and CE18 were run in a similar test to that ofExample 14A (3 psi wafer head pressure), except the polishing time wasonly 0.6 hours. Copper removal rate results and wafer non-uniformity areshown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 Copper CMP Polishing Results for Example 14A, CE17 and CE18.Conditioning Time Removal Rate Example (hr) (Å/min) NU (%) 14A 0.610,478 6.6 CE17 0.6 8,957 4.7 CE18 0.6 8,791 6.3

CMP Polishing Tests Using Example 15A and CE19

Using Polishing Test Method 2, the two abrasive articles of Example 15Awere tested as pad conditioners in a copper CMP process using arelatively soft CMP pad, WSP. One abrasive article was tested at a waferhead pressure of 3 psi, while the other was tested at a wafer headpressure of 1.4 psi. Using the Copper Wafer Removal Rate andNon-Uniformity Test Method described above, the copper removal rate andwafer non-uniformity were measured as a function of conditioning time.Results are shown in Table 6. For both the low head pressure and highhead pressure processes, good, stable removal rates and good, stablewafer non-uniformities were obtained.

TABLE 6 Copper CMP Polishing Results for Example 15A. Head Pressure 3.0psi Head Pressure 1.4 psi Conditioning Removal Rate Removal Rate Time(hr) (Å/min) NU (%) (Å/min) NU (%) 0.55 6,086 10.3 3,116 14.4 3.62 6,9209.9 3,775 11.2 6.68 6,906 11.4 3,807 10.7 9.75 6,918 10.3 4,063 8.711.82 7,140 10.8 4,160 8.1 14.88 6,878 8.9 4,063 7.0 17.95 7,266 9.44,367 5.9 21.02 7,317 7.6 4,616 5.4

A diamond grit pad conditioner, CE19, was also tested using PolishingTest Method 2. The copper removal rate and wafer non-uniformity weremeasured as a function of conditioning time. Results are shown in Table7. By the time the 6 hour polishing time was reached, the pads wereseverely worn and pad groves were no longer present, indicating that thepolishing pad was completely worn by the diamond grit pad conditioner.

TABLE 7 Copper CMP Polishing Results for CE19. Head Pressure 3.0 psiHead Pressure 1.4 psi Conditioning Removal Rate Removal Rate Time (hr)(Å/min) NU (%) (Å/min) NU (%) 0.55 8,118 8 4,967 7.5 3.62 8,265 9.75,382 8.2 6.68 7,191 9.6 4,484 13.5

The pads from the CMP polishing tests run at a wafer head pressure of3.0 psi, which were conditioned with Example 15A and CE19, were measuredfor pad wear rate and surface roughness, using the previously describedtest methods. Results are shown in Table 8. The average pad wear rate ofthe pad conditioned with Example 15A was about a factor of 4 lower thanthe pad conditioned with CE19, indicating pads conditioned with theconditioner having precisely shaped abrasive features would have asignificantly longer useful life.

TABLE 8 Pad Wear Results from CMP Polishing Tests with Example 15A andCE19. Initial Average Final Average Pad Wear Pad Surface Pad SurfaceConditioning Rate Roughness Roughness Example Time (hr) (micron/hr)(microns) (microns) Ex 15A 21.02 34.8 2.34 2.50 CE19 6.68 132.4 1.962.66

CMP Polishing Tests Using Example 16A and CE20

Using Polishing Test Method 3, the abrasive article of Example 16A wascompared to diamond grit pad conditioner, Comparative Example CE20, inan oxide process. Using the Oxide Wafer Removal Rate and Non-UniformityTest Method described above, the oxide removal rate and wafernon-uniformity were measured as a function of conditioning time. Resultsare shown in Table 9. Higher removal rates and lower wafernon-uniformity were obtained when the polishing process employed a padconditioner Example 16A with precisely shaped features compared toconventional diamond grit pad conditioner CE20. The pad surface finishwas measured at 3 (7.6 cm) inches, 7 inches (17.8 cm) and 13 inches(33.0 cm) from the pad center after 4.9 hours of conditioning. The padsurface finish for Example 16A was slightly higher than ComparativeExample CE20 (8.47 microns versus 7.24 microns, respectively). Thestarting pad surface roughness was 12 microns. The polishing test withExample 16A as the pad conditioner was continued out to 30 hours. Thefeature heights of the abrasive elements were measured by conventionaloptical microscopy before and after polishing to determine the tip wear.The wear rate was determined to be about 0.1 micron/hr. There were nostains or slurry build-up on the features.

TABLE 9 Oxide CMP Polishing Results for Example 16A and CE20. Example16A CE20 Conditioning Removal Rate Removal Rate Time (hr) (Å/min) NU (%)(Å/min) NU (%) 0.6 4,673 5 2,021 6.1 1.7 5,422 5.7 2,391 8.1 2.8 5,4822.2 2,615 8.1 3.8 5,556 1.6 2,692 7.6 4.9 5,490 3.5 2,910 7.6

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An abrasive element comprising: a first majorsurface; and a second major surface; wherein at least the first majorsurface comprises a plurality of precisely shaped features; and whereinthe abrasive element comprises at least about 99% of carbide ceramic byweight and has a porosity of less than about 5%.
 2. The abrasive elementof claim 1, wherein the carbide ceramic is silicon carbide, boroncarbide, zirconium carbide, titanium carbide, tungsten carbide orcombinations thereof.
 3. The abrasive element of claim 1, wherein theporosity is less than about 3%.
 4. The abrasive element of claim 1,wherein a mean grain size of the carbide ceramic is less than about 20microns.
 5. The abrasive element of claim 1, wherein the mean grain sizeis less than about 5 microns and the porosity is less than about 3%. 6.The abrasive element of claim 1, wherein the abrasive element issubstantially free of oxide sintering aides.
 7. The abrasive element ofclaim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of precisely shapedfeatures have a length, along at least one base edge, of from about 1micron to about 2,000 microns and an areal density of from about 1feature/mm² to about 1,000 features/mm².
 8. The abrasive element ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of precisely shaped features have acoating.
 9. The abrasive element of claim 8, wherein the coating isconformal.
 10. The abrasive element of claim 8, wherein the coatingincludes chemical vapor deposited or physical vapor deposited diamond,doped diamond, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, fluorochemicalcoatings, hydrophobic or hydrophilic coatings, surface modifyingcoatings, anticorrosion coatings, polymeric coatings, diamond likecarbon, diamond like glass, tungsten carbide, silicon nitride, titaniumnitride, particle coatings, polycrystalline diamond, microcrystallinediamond, nanocrystalline diamond and combinations thereof.
 11. Theabrasive element of claim 1, wherein the abrasive element has apercentage of defective features of less than about 5% of the totalnumber of precisely shaped features.
 12. The abrasive element of claim1, wherein a group of precisely shaped features, having a maximum designfeature height of D₀, have a non-planarity of less than about 20% of thefeature height.
 13. The abrasive element of claim 1, wherein theprecisely shaped features have a non-uniformity of about 20% of thefeature height.
 14. The abrasive element of claim 1, wherein the 99%carbide ceramic by weight is at least about 90% silicon carbide byweight.
 15. An abrasive article comprising: a first abrasive elementcomprising first and second major surfaces; wherein at least the firstmajor surface comprises a plurality of precisely shaped features; andwherein the first abrasive element comprises at least about 99% ofcarbide ceramic by weight and has a porosity of less than about 5%. 16.The abrasive article of claim 15, further comprising a resilient elementhaving first and second major surfaces.
 17. The abrasive article ofclaim 15, further comprising a fastening element.
 18. The abrasivearticle of claim 15, further comprising a carrier.
 19. The abrasivearticle of claim 16, wherein the resilient element is selected from thegroup consisting of: a foam, a gel, a polymer, a spring and a flexiblewasher.
 20. The abrasive article of claim 15, further comprising asecond abrasive element, wherein a collective group of features on thefirst and second abrasive elements have a common maximum design featureheight of D₀ and a non-coplanarity of less than about 20% of the featureheight.
 21. The abrasive article of claim 15, wherein the abrasivearticle is a pad conditioner.
 22. The abrasive article of claim 15,further comprising a cleaning element.
 23. The abrasive article of claim21, wherein the abrasive article is a double sided pad conditioner. 24.A method of making an abrasive article comprising: providing a firstabrasive element and a second abrasive element, each abrasive elementcomprising first and second major surfaces, wherein at least the firstmajor surfaces comprise a plurality of precisely shaped features andwherein the abrasive elements comprise at least about 99% carbideceramic by weight and have a porosity of less than about 5%; placing thefirst major surfaces of the abrasive elements in contact with analignment plate; providing a resilient element having first and secondmajor surfaces; affixing the first major surface of the resilientelement to the second major surfaces of the abrasive elements; providinga fastening element; and affixing the second major surface of theresilient element to a carrier through the fastening element.
 25. Themethod of claim 24, wherein a collective group of precisely shapedfeatures having a common maximum design feature height of D₀, have anon-coplanarity of less than about 20% of the feature height.
 26. Themethod of claim 24, wherein the fastening element is the resilientelement.
 27. An abrasive article comprising: a first abrasive elementcomprising first and second major surfaces; wherein at least the firstmajor surface comprises a plurality of precisely shaped features havinga diamond coating; and wherein the first abrasive element comprises atleast about 99% of carbide ceramic by weight and has a porosity of lessthan about 5%.
 28. The abrasive article of claim 27, wherein the coatingis selected from one of diamond, doped diamond, diamond like carbon,diamond like glass, polycrystalline diamond, microcrystalline diamond,nanocrystalline diamond and combinations thereof.